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Liquefaction Susceptibility Mapping in Boston, Massachusetts

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Liquefaction Susceptibility Mapping in Boston, Massachusetts Liquefaction Susceptibility Mapping in Boston, Massachusetts CHARLES M. BRANKMAN1 William Lettis & Associates, Inc., 1777 Botelho Drive, Suite 262, Walnut Creek, CA 94596 LAURIE G. BAISE Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University, 113 Anderson Hall, Medford, MA 02155 Key Terms: Liquefaction, Seismic Hazards, Engineer- area, and it will assist in characterizing seismic ing Geology, Geotechnical, Surficial Geology hazards, mitigating risks, and providing information for urban planning and emergency response. ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION The Boston, Massachusetts, metropolitan area has Boston, Massachusetts, is located in a region of experienced several historic earthquakes of about moderate historic seismicity, where several historical magnitude 6.0. A compilation of surficial geologic events of about M6.0 have occurred (e.g., 1727, 1755). maps of the Boston, Massachusetts, metropolitan area The possibility therefore exists for the generation of and geotechnical analyses of Quaternary sedimentary earthquake-induced liquefaction of near-surface sedi- deposits using nearly 3,000 geotechnical borehole logs ments in the Boston area. In this paper, we present reveal varying levels of susceptibility of these units to results of a study to assess the liquefaction suscepti- earthquake-induced liquefaction, given the generally bility of natural sediments and areas of artificial fill in accepted design earthquake for the region (M6.0 with the Boston metropolitan area, with the aim of 0.12g Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA)). The majority characterizing liquefaction hazard and providing of the boreholes are located within the extensive information to local communities for improved downtown artificial fill units, but they also allow planning and mitigation strategies. The primary goal characterization of the natural deposits outside the of the study was to develop liquefaction susceptibility downtown area. The geotechnical data were comple- maps by combining surficial geologic mapping with mented with surficial geologic mapping, combining subsurface borehole data. To develop these maps, published and unpublished geologic maps, aerial existing surficial geologic maps at various scales were photographic interpretation, and soil stratigraphy data augmented with field reconnaissance mapping to from an additional 12,000 geotechnical boring logs. provide a base for assessing the properties of the Susceptibility maps were developed based on liquefac- geologic units. An extensive digital borehole database tion-triggering threshold ground motions, which were was compiled to provide data on the subsurface determined using the borehole data. We find that much properties; it is composed of nearly 3,000 borings, and of the non-engineered artificial fill that underlies the it focuses on the artificial fill units in downtown downtown Boston area is, when saturated, highly Boston but also provides coverage of the other susceptible to liquefaction during seismic loading. geologic units. The subsurface properties, including Holocene alluvial and marsh deposits in the region soil type, standard penetration test blow counts, and are also moderately to highly susceptible to liquefac- estimated fines content, were used to determine tion. Much of the outlying area is underlain by liquefaction susceptibility of each individual sample Pleistocene and Quaternary glacial and glaciofluvial in the database. The liquefaction susceptibility deposits, which have low to moderate susceptibility to mapping used the results of both the surficial geologic liquefaction. This study provides data needed to mapping and the subsurface sample liquefaction effectively manage liquefaction hazards in the Boston susceptibility analysis. The study area encompasses eight 1:24,000-scale 1Present address: Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, 20 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138; phone: (7.5 minute) quadrangles in the metropolitan Boston 617-495-0367; fax: 617-495-7660; email: [email protected]. region, and it includes the downtown Boston area and Environmental & Engineering Geoscience, Vol. XIV, No. 1, February 2008, pp. 1–16 1 Brankman and Baise Figure 1. Quadrangle outline map of the greater Boston region showing community boundaries. surrounding communities (Figure 1). Much of the southern Quebec had a magnitude of about 7.0 and region is underlain by Pleistocene and Quaternary caused ground shaking intensity in Boston of at least glacial till and glaciofluvial deposits, as well as large V–VI, resulting in damage to several chimneys in the areas of marsh deposits and extensive regions of non- Boston area (Crosby, 1923; Ebel, 1996). The 1727 engineered artificial fill. Based on their composition Newbury earthquake occurred approximately 56 km and conditions of geologic deposition, glaciofluvial northeast of Boston, with an estimated moment deposits, marsh deposits, and especially the non- magnitude (Mw) of 5.6, a reported local MMI of engineered artificial fill are potentially susceptible to VI–VII, and a MMI for Boston and northern suburbs liquefaction during large earthquakes. of V–VI (Ebel, 2000). Reports in Newbury at the time of the earthquake describe sand boils, which indicate liquefaction (Plant, 1742; Ebel, 2000). These occur- BACKGROUND rences of liquefaction have been confirmed by Seismic History paleoseismic studies, which found sand dikes and sills in glaciomarine sediments in two locations The Boston region has experienced several historic corresponding to the liquefaction during the 1727 earthquakes that have caused ground motions signif- earthquake and one prehistoric event (Tuttle and icant enough to trigger liquefaction in susceptible Seeber, 1991; Tuttle et al., 2000). sediments. In 1638, an earthquake thought to have The 1755 Cape Ann earthquake was the largest been located in central New Hampshire struck with earthquake to have affected Boston in historic times, a magnitude (MbLg) of about 6.5; Ebel (1996, 1999) and it caused damage throughout eastern Massachu- estimated that the event produced modified Mercalli setts and was felt along the eastern seaboard of North intensity (MMI) of V–VII in Boston. An earthquake America from Nova Scotia to South Carolina (Ebel, in 1663 located within the Charlevoix seismic zone in 2006). The earthquake was located approximately 2 Environmental & Engineering Geoscience, Vol. XIV, No. 1, February 2008, pp. 1–16 Boston Liquefaction Susceptibility Maps 40 km ENE of Cape Ann, Massachusetts, and it had interpretations of stratigraphy derived from over aMw of about 5.9 (Ebel, 2006). The earthquake 5,000 boring logs. The hazard classification for the caused extensive damage in Boston, destroying at Victoria maps was based on an interpretation of the least 1,500 and as many as 5,000 chimneys (Whitman, stratigraphy represented in the boring logs and 2002), and it reportedly affected water levels in wells a detailed analysis of 31 sites. The detailed analysis as far away as central and western Connecticut consisted of a combination of a probabilistic pre- (Thorson, 2001). Crosby (1923) estimated that the diction of liquefaction using the Seed and Idriss 1755 earthquake caused a MMI of IX in Boston, (1971) simplified approach and a probability of while Ebel (2006) estimated a MMI of VII. Estimates liquefaction severity index, which depends on depth of ground motions in Boston range from 0.08 to 0.12g and thickness of the liquefiable materials (Monahan (Ebel, 2006). Written accounts of damage caused by et al., 1998, 2000). the 1755 earthquake in Scituate, about 30 km Recently, the California Geological Survey (CGS) southeast of Boston, reported liquefaction sand boils; has produced seismic hazard zone maps that delineate these features were investigated using paleoseismic areas that are likely to contain liquefiable sediments and geophysical techniques, but the studies were not in seismically active areas of the state. The CGS conclusive (Tuttle et al., 2000). zonation is based on susceptibility evaluations that use geologic criteria and borehole analyses similar to Liquefaction Hazard Mapping the method used in this study. To date, CGS has compiled Quaternary geology for 113 U.S. Geological Regional liquefaction hazard mapping projects Survey (USGS) 7.5-minute quadrangles and has have predominantly relied on criteria that relate collected and analyzed over 16,000 borehole logs Quaternary surficial deposits to liquefaction suscep- from the greater Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay tibility, taking into account factors such as deposi- area (California Geological Survey, 2007). tional environment, dominant grain size, and relative age (Youd and Perkins, 1978). This methodology commonly leads to the identification of large regions METHODOLOGY of susceptible material. Youd and Perkins (1987) We applied regional-scale liquefaction mapping discussed how the resulting maps show geologic units criteria based on surficial geology and analysis of that likely contain liquefiable sediments but do not geotechnical data to prepare liquefaction hazard identify the precise location of the liquefiable maps for the greater Boston metropolitan region. sediments within the geologic unit. Therefore, it is The mapping criteria consisted of three hazard classes possible that within a susceptible unit only a small (low, moderate, and high), which refer to varying discrete area or areas will actually liquefy during extents of expected liquefaction. Our intent was to a given earthquake. provide classes of hazard
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